Love Me
by Akino Ame
Summary: A one-shot romance between Venus and Kunzite at the end of the Silver Millennium. Venus learns of Earth's love and beauty goddess from Kunzite and it sparks romantic interest. Beware, it involves death.


I am the Princess of Venus, Sailor Venus. My duty is to protect Princess Serenity of the Silver Millennium. I must remember that at all times. That's why I constantly have to go down to Earth and retrieve the Princess when she tries to spend time with the Earth Prince Endymion. And it was on one of those days that I learned of Earth's love goddess, Venus.

I doubted I would need to fight, so I arrived in a simple white dress rather than my Sailor Venus uniform. The white silk was very cool, and I wore my orange Sailor Venus shoes with it. I doubted I would need my powers today. I wonder what would have happened if I'd taken the precaution of being a Sailor Senshi.

_There she is, _I noticed. _I can't believe she came here! She knows the Moon and Earth are incommunicado! She's really going to get it now!_

I walked out of my hiding place in the rosebushes, prepared to give Serenity a piece of my mind. But as I started walking toward the Princess and Prince, I felt the sharp sting of a snake's fangs biting into my leg.

Suddenly, a young man with long white hair burst through the bushes. He slashed a sword through the snake and knelt down to attend to me. Carefully, he removed my left shoe to assess my injury.

"That snake had a rattle, indicating that it was one of the poisonous ones," he whispered. "They've been sneaking into this garden a lot recently. For that reason, we've all been carrying antivenin." He took out a vial of a strange liquid. He then took a cleaner part of his sword and cut open my snakebite. Next, he bit the wax sealing off the vial and poured the antivenin into my wound. After doing that, he removed his cape and used it as a bandage, tightly wrapping it around my leg. I tried to stand up, but he gently eased me down. "You're not going anywhere. Any type of movement could get that venom coursing through you again."

"But the Princess and Prince…" I protested.

"Will be fine," he finished. "I've made sure that the Prince carries enough antivenin for the entire population of Earth. And if he isn't carrying it today, I still have a few vials."

He lifted me up and placed me onto a bench. As I sat, I stared at Serenity and Endymion, who were kissing in the distance. I felt my face grow hot with rage. The Princess was flouting her duties and deliberately disobeying orders!

"It's a sad thing, star-crossed lovers," my rescuer commented. "The gods forbid their meeting, but they still make this venture all the time."

"I think it's foolish," I argued. "They know the consequences that can come!"

"Love can make even the wisest man a fool," my rescuer philosophized. "While we're waiting for the antivenin to take full effect, allow me to ask you your name."

"Venus," I answered automatically. He stared at me in surprise and dropped to his knees.

"My lady Venus, forgive my ignorance," he apologized. "I should have known—the fair golden hair, the alabaster skin, the eyes as clear as the lake—I'm sorry I did not recognize the goddess of love and beauty, Venus DeMilo. No woman could ever match your loveliness."

I felt very special, being called a goddess, but I knew that was a blasphemy toward Selene—Queen Serenity. "May I ask your name?"

"Kunzite, my lady Venus."

"Kunzite, please do not remain on your knees. I serve the goddess Selene, the Queen of the Moon. Please do not worship me."

"I apologize my lady Venus. Please allow me to call you that."

"I suppose."

"My lady Venus, what brings you to Earth?"

"The Moon Princess, Serenity. She has been coming here often. As the leader of her royal court, it is my duty to come and get her. And you?"

"I am one of Prince Endymion's knights. My duty is to protect him, but his love for your Princess brings him here."

"I guess we both came here for the same reason," I realized.

"Yes. Do you approve of their romance, my lady Venus?"

"I do not wish to break the taboos," I replied honestly. "It is forbidden for Lunarians to wed Earthlings."

"But it is not clearly stated that they cannot fall in love," Kunzite pointed out. "Are romances between Venusians and Earthlings forbidden, my lady Venus?"

I felt my heart pound. "Not that I know of, but like Lunarians, we Venusians, as well as Martians, Mercurians, Jupiterians, Uranusians, Neptunians, Plutians, and Saturnians have long life spans. Sadly, you Earthlings have only a life span of seventy years or so."

"Yes, sadly," he replied. I detected a trace of regret in his voice.

"Kunzite, on the bright side," I assured. "Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion will undoubtedly try to meet again. It is our duty to stay by their sides."

"True," he answered, brightening a bit.

"Then I shall see you then," I promised, walking toward the Princess.

-------  
It wasn't long before a woman from our own Silver Millennium named Beryl decided to shatter our peaceful kingdom. She led an army of Earthlings to destroy us all. She delivered the killing blow to Prince Endymion, who was trying to defend the Moon. Out of sorrow, Princess Serenity committed suicide. I took the same sword she used to slay herself and used it to try to find Beryl.

As I ran down the halls of the palace, I knew it was time to change.

"Venus power, make up!"

I became Sailor Venus, goddess of love and beauty. I ran madly through the halls until I found a familiar face.

"Kunzite?" I recognized.

"Venus, is that you?" he asked. Why hadn't he called me "My lady Venus"?

"Yes, it's me. Are you okay?"

"I am fine."

"We have to leave," I urged, trying to get him out of the palace. "That woman Beryl is killing us all."

"That woman hasn't killed anyone," Kunzite argued, holding onto my arm.

"She just murdered your Prince Endymion," I explained. "And Princess Serenity has committed suicide out of her sorrow."

"Those of the Moon are weak," he argued. "The Dark Kingdom is strong. They shall lead Earth into her glorious future."

"Kunzite, what's happened to you?" I asked. "How could you follow her doctrine?"

Before I knew it, he had a sword in my body. I slumped toward him, but I managed to stab him through the heart.

"I'm sorry I had to do this," I apologized on my dying breath. "Love me, Kunzite."


End file.
